The X-Ray

President Trump and his supporters ran a months-long campaign to attack the 2020 presidential election and undermine the democratic process. One of the most notable attacks was launched on the results in Pennsylvania by the man once known as "America's mayor" — Rudy Giuliani. Dispatched by the Trump campaign, Giuliani led the charge with baseless claims of voter fraud and attacks on mail-in voting.

In episode 22, Weston unpacks what occurred in Pennsylvania to shine a light on how disinformation was used to raise doubts about the integrity of the state's election.

Guest:

• Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge (R)

In 2020 politics, Georgia was ground zero. It came to be a swing state in the defeat of the incumbent president, and it flipped the Senate with the defeat of two Republican senators.

And lots happened in between Election Day in November and the Senate runoffs in January that shook Georgia and the U.S. Senate.

In episode 21, Weston tells the inside story of how Georgia exposed the lie about election fraud, and reveals how Republicans lost those two Senate seats in Georgia — in part because they couldn't stop attacking our elections.

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of everyday life, including the way many Americans are voting. Because of this, people have increasingly begun to wonder about delayed election results, or contested outcomes, or even the possibility that a candidate may not concede. But in the middle of all this, a group of well-respected Americans has come together to defend the integrity of our elections, ensure that every American's vote is counted this November, and instill confidence that we can hold a safe, secure, and successful election this year — just like we did through both world wars and another pandemic. Listen to Weston speak with two of them in this episode.

Guests:

• Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Member of the National Council on Election Integrity
• Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), Member of the National Council on Election Integrity

This year, many Americans are worried that the 2020 elections will be contested, chaotic, and drawn out, leading to comparisons with the infamous 2000 Bush vs. Gore election that was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court.

Weston sat down with Leonard Downie Jr., Executive Editor of the Washington Post during the 2000 election, to unpack what happened in 2000, what if any parallels there are to this year's election, and how politics and journalism has changed since 2000.

This is the second episode in a periodic series of conversations between Swamp Stories host Weston Wamp and leaders in the political reform movement.

This week, AND Campaign’s Co-founder Justin Giboney joins Weston to discuss the intersection of faith and politics, separating identity from political party, and how people of faith can put their faith in action in this election and beyond.

Running an election amidst a pandemic presents historic challenges — a problem made even more difficult by a new and unprecedented controversy about absentee voting, a well-established method of casting a ballot which is expected to double this election. Voters on both sides of the aisle are left wondering what the facts are, and whether or not we'll be able to trust the outcome because of it.

Host Weston Wamp sets the record straight by talking with two election experts about absentee voting, fraud, and the Post Office’s ability to handle the increase in mail-in ballots.

Guests:

• Amber McReynolds; National Vote at Home Institute, CEO
• Tammy Patrick; Democracy Fund, Senior Advisor to the Elections Program

Issue One hosted a roundtable with faith leaders to explore how people of faith and church communities can engage civically to promote shared values and integrity in a volatile election year. The “People of Faith: Engage 2020” summit featured Christian musician Michael W. Smith, longtime Southern Baptist leader Dr. Richard Land, President Obama’s evangelical outreach leader Michael Wear, & Campaign Co-Founder Justin Giboney, and young author and theologian, Kaitlyn Schiess. The conversation was moderated by Issue One's ReFormers Caucus Co-chair and former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp and Weston Wamp, Issue One’s Senior Political Strategist.

A unique bipartisan group of over 200 former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet officials has come together to build off their experiences while in office and advocate for solutions to fix our broken political system. Weston chats with a few of these ReFormers about their time in Washington, their personal swamp stories, and what they’re doing to help increase transparency, improve civic participation, and make our political leaders more accountable to the American people.

Guests:

• Former Amb. Connie Morella (R-MD), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Co-chair
• Former Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Co-chair
• Former Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC), Issue One ReFormers Caucus Member

Host Weston Wamp examines the history of conservatives opposing political reform over the years, and looks at how a new wave of Republican reformers is turning the tide when it comes to fixing the political system. Listen to this episode to hear Weston speak with some of these reformers, including a member of Congress, to build the conservative case for reform.

Guests: 

• Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
• Luke Knittig, Senior Director of Communications at the McCain Institute
• John Pudner, Executive Director of Take Back our Republic
• Nilmini Rubin, Co-Founder of Fix the System

At the end of its 2020 term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on what might seem like an obscure question in Constitutional law, but could have huge ramifications in elections this November and beyond. Democracy Works, Swamp Stories' partner in the Democracy Group podcast network, dives into the ruling on “faithless electors” in this episode featuring Issue One’s Executive Director Meredith McGehee.